let me finish tonight with this. once upon time, the republican party ran presidential candidates who could carry even massachusetts. think eisenhower, think ronald reagan. well, lately, the party has been running candidates who can't get much closer to the northeast than ohio. and not even that, the last two times. it's a whole part of the country, the northeast, with lots of people living in it that's become foreign territory. last night, i watched the u.s. house of representatives become hurricane aid. i now call the party of guns that were people. its instinct is to fight for guns. last night, it was aid for the northeast. does anyone out there think it would stop there? the move is to increasingly vote for guns, vote for war, vote against people. why? i cannot figure. to paraphrase an old saying, guns don't vote, people do. we've seen the horror of crazed

killers with semi-automatic weapons. we still haven't caught sight of those darn helicopters. thanks for being with us. "the ed show" with ed schultz starts right now. >> this is our first task as a society. keeping our children safe. this is how we will be judged. >> the president lays it all on the line for new gun laws. >> this will not happen unless the american people demand it. >> and he calls out the right wing machine that wants to kill reform. >> tonight, congresswoman jackie sleer of california on the president's major announcement.

dan gross on the brady campaign and on whether the president's campaign can work. michael steele on the dispickble nra ad attacking the president's kids. >> plus, obama for america is getting the fan back together to fight the nra. >> it is time to get activated, again. >> former obama deputy campaign manager stephanie cutter joins me tonight. and congresswoman january shakowski on the return of the public option. >> good to have you with us tonight. folks, thanks for watching. there cannot be another false start in curbing gun violence in this country. today, the path for change was paved. president obama announced proposals for sweeping reforms to gun laws in this country in the wake of the horror at

the wake of the horror at sandy hook elementary, it's gut check time for america. >> this is our first task as a soet. keeping our children safe. this is how we will be judged. >> horrible gun violence is not isolated to one cold december day in connecticut. every day wasted leads to more lost lives. >> keeping our children safe. precious children and six brave adults were violently taken from us at sandyhook, elementary. more than 900 of our fellow americans have reportedly died at the enof a gun. 900 in the past month. and every day we wait, that number will keep going. >> over the past month, vice president joe biden and his task force is met with 229 groups from around the country. biden's task force provided a road map for the long drive ahead.

>> while there is no law or set of laws that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely, no piece of legislation that will prevent every tragedy, every act of evil. if there is even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try it. and i'm going to do my part. >> the president very compelling. he's willing to spend political capital in order to get something done. specific legislative proposals include a system of universal background checks, renewing the assault weapons ban from the clinton era, limiting high capacity magazines to ten bullets, providing more resources to states in reporting criminals and the mentally ill. out lawing armor-piercing bullets and funding, more funding, for police officers

around the country. the president also signed 23 executive actions, most of them reinforcing laws already on the books. some actions are as simple as nominating. the president is asking the centers for disease control to study gun violence, including the effects of violent video games. he is calling for a report on lost and stolen firearms, all common sense stuff. the proposals are about sanity. as much as anything else. and i hope it all starts in the senate. i want to see the republicans filibuster this. i want to see them filibuster against the will of the american people. i mean, they are sensible, reasonable things that are out there to restrict the ownership of military whens owned by citizens. president obama is not the only president who believed this. >> weapons designed for the

theater of war have no place in a movie theater. a majority of americans agree with us on this. and, by the way, so did ronald reagan, one of the staunchest defenders of the second amendment who wrote to congress in 1994 urging them, this is ronald reagan speaking, urging them to listen to the american public and to the law enforcement community and support a ban on the further manufacture of military-style assault weapons. >> oh, quoting their hero. the logic is so simple, even a child can understand it. and many children do. the president was accompanied today by young people who wrote him letters asking for changes after sandy hook. one little boy named grant wrote dear president obama. i think there should be some changes in the laws with guns. it's a free country, but i recommend there needs to be a limit with guns. please don't let people own machine guns or other powerful guns like that.

i think there should be a good reason to get a gun. we should learn from what happened to the people at happened to the people at sandy hook. p.s., i know you're doing your best. maybe the children know more than we do, as a society. the president has an obligation to these children and he does not take it lightly. >> in the letter that julia wrote me, she says i know that laws have to be passed by congress. but i beg you to try very hard. julie, i will try very hard. but she's right. the most important changes we can make depend on congressional action. they need to bring these proposals up for a vote and the american people need to make sure that they do. get them on record.

ask your member of congress if they support universal background checks to keep guns out of the wrong hands. ask them if they support the ban on high-capacity magazines. if they say no, ask them why not? ask them what's important? doing whatever it takes or giving parents some piece of mind when they drop their child off for first grade. >> and that cuts to the very culture of how washington operates. >> can a group shake you down for the vote? our members of congress going to be able to look kids in the eye across the country and say you know, we really did everything we could. the public wants action. we have to count. almost the entire country approves of the universal background checks.

these numbers have to mean something. this time, as the president says, it has to be different i. president obama says he was committed to change when he visited newtown. >> are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage? that the politics are too hard? are we prepared to say that such violence visited by our children year after year after year and somehow the price of our freedom? >> three days later, the president got the ball rolling. >> i have asked the vice president to lead members to come up with a set of concrete proposals no later than january. this is not some washington commission.

this is not something where folks are going to with studying the issue for six months and publishing a report that gets read and then pushed aside. >> today, the president has shown it's time to follow through on a promise. >> i spent time with many of the families who lost their children today. one was the family of grace grace's parents were here. grace was 7 years old when she was struck down. a gorgeous, caring, cheerful little girl. i'm told she loved pink, she loved the beach, she dreamed of becoming a painter. and so just before i left, chris, her father gave me one of her paintings.

and i hung it in my private study just off the oval office. and every time i looked at that painting, i think about grace. and i think about the life that she lived and the life that lay ahead of her and most of all, i think about how when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable among us, we must act now for grace. for the 25 other innocent children and devoted others who had so much left to give. who fall victim to senseless violence each and every day. for all the americans who are counting on us to keep them safe from harm. let's do the right thing. let's do the right thing for them and for this country that we love so much. >> let's do the right thing. well, it takes courage to do the right thing.

we can muster the courage we saw on display today. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. will you vote for anyone who doesn't support the president's gun safety proposals? text a for yes, text b for now to 66329. we'll bring you results later on in the show. i'm joined tonight by congresswoman jackie spear of california who is the vice chair of the violence task force. great to have you with us. >> great to be with you. >> you have been touched personally. you have been a victim of gun violence. what do the president's words mean to you personally today? >> his words today said to me that it is time to do everything in my power. to make sure that the lives that were lost in newtown, and the 32 lives that were lost each and

every day in this country will not continue to be the norm and i am absolutely committed to follow his lead and even go beyond that to making sure that we turn this society into a civilized society and not a gun-riddled place where people have to fear going to the shopping mall or movie theater. >> congressman, what do you hear from your colleagues in private? what's the back chatter? is there a chance for change that maybe the lobbyists won't have the influence this time around because it's had such an emotional impact on the country? >> you know, i'm so concerned that the nra boogeyman that kind of floats around the capital dome is not real but is believed to be real by so many colleagues. i think the american people -- and i think the president is

right -- if the american people demand action, we will get action. but i'm not going to sit back and be a defeatist on this. we have got to move this issue forward. we have a moral imperative to do something. >> here's a reaction from speaker boehner's office. house committees of jurisdiction will review these recommendations and if the senate passes a bill, we will also take a look at that. what's your response to that? is that passing the buck? >> there's plenty of passing the buck that goes on. there is an effort to create pressure in the house. and i believe we can force a vote on the house floor, if necessary. and, again, the american people will be a critical part of that effort. >> universal background checks. overwhelming support for that.

is that a good start for congress in your opinion? >> it is probably the best thing we can do at this particular point in time. when 40% of the guns that are purchased in this country are not subject to a background check, it absolutely floors the american people. even members of the nra, when they were polled recently, were under the impression that everyone has a criminal background check. so there are many thousands upon thousands of people in this country who illegally have guns because there isn't a universal background check. >> congresswoman, appreciate your time tonight. i agree with her. it has to start in the senate. this is really going to put the republicans up against the wall. are they going to turn to the american people and say no, we're going to filibuster this, too? that will be a real eye opener to a lot of people who are just novice news consumers because this story has consumed this

country. remember to answer tonight's question tonight at the bottom of the screen. the national rifle association, they came out swinging today issuing this ad attacking the president's children. that's right. the two obama kids. i will talk with david corn and michael steele next. stay tuned. we'll be right back. suddenly, she does something unexpected and you see the woman you fell in love with. she's everything to you. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include

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coming up, president obama calls on americans to get involved in the gun control debate. former obama deputy campaign manager stephanie cutter weighs in on the president's next campaign. and, later, congresswoman gia jakowski explains why republicans should be on board. don't forget, you can listen 1278. share your thoughts with us on facebook and on twitter. using the hashtag ed show. we're coming right back.

thanks for staying with us tonight. they are the most sweeping reforms proposed in years. four legislative proposals. 23 executive actions and yet even the president acknowledged today that getting something meaningful done on gun control would be no easy task. >> this will be difficult. there will be pundants and politicians. not because that's true but because they want to gin up fear or higher ratings or revenue for themselves.

and behind the scenes, they'll do everything they can to block any common sense reform and make sure nothing changes whatsoever. the only way we will be able to change is if their audience, their constituents, their membership says this time must be different. that this time, we must do something to protect our communities and our kids. >> if anyone doubts the tough road ahead, look at the issues by top conservatives. president obama is again abusing his power by imposing his policies by executive fiat instead of allowing them to be debated in congress. and several house republicans were talking impeachment even before the president had announced his proposals.

>> these kind of tools are available to us, and we're going to use every tool possible to fight an administration which wants to abdigate the constitution. >> yes, that's something we should consider if the president is going to attempt to destroy the constitution strictly with a pronouncement from his mouth. >> now, it's time to venture into the despicable. the nra rolled out several attack ads including a preemptive strike involving the president's own family. >> his kids are protected by armed guards at their school. >> he even defended the ad to nbc's andrea mitchell. >> children of presidents have been off limits for decades. there has been an understanding that we don't talk, particularly about the minor children of presidents.

>> i'm joined by david corn and the d.c. bureau chief and michael steele, an msnbc contributor. gentlemen, good to have you with us here tonight. david, the ad that included the obama children, how despicable is it? >> one to ten? i don't know, 13? it's certainly no more despicable than people who claim this is an impeachment. they talk about civil war, tyranny, you know, rush limbaugh makes fun of his show on kids who are freaked out by massacres at grade schools. and i'm still waiting, unlike, you know, diagones with a light going from show to show looking

for a republican who will fall out this portion who have gone over the edge and just make our pal, michael steele is ready to do that and say enough, guys. if you oppose these measures, oppose them on the merits and get impeachment and all of this other mularkey off the table. >> well, look, let me begin wi saying straight up that i'm an ardent supporter of the second amendment. i'm an ardent supporter of the nra, even though i'm not a member. this is one of those moments where you have to be concerned about a power grab. but at the same time, david and ed, in the front of your mind

are the images of 20 caskets of 6-year-old kids. and you've got to say to yourself at some point, this is not about emotionalism. this is about -- >> but michael? >> no, let me finish up real quick. when you have 85, 90% of american people solidified behind an issue to begin an honest discussion about how do we proceed to keep our kids safe we should be on the forefront of that. >> well, you're not. the republican party is not on the forefront. here's the point on the nra ad. many republicans have taken money and not one of them have come out and said that ad is over the top. do you think they should? >> oh, yeah, i think they should. i agree with andrea mitchell's question. why are we invoking the president's children here? why are we making a false equivalency for the president and his family and this issue? this is confusing.

>> i'm waiting for speaker boehner to come out and say all of this talk about impeachment, civil war, this is not the republican party that i want to lead. don't make common cause as mitt romney did during the campaign. let's not get involved here with this sort of tactic. >> i don't think they're going to be doing it any time soon. they're taking their lead from the nra. and the nra came out and said it's prepared to do the battle of the century. barack obama, joe biden and their gun allies only want to blame you, vilify you and strip you of your second amendment freedoms.

these lines are pretty clear here. is this where the republican party wants to go? >> no, and it's certainly not the party that i want to be a part of in the future, if that's where the party is going. i think that, you know, what the president has laid out is a common sense position to start with. a lot of the things the president has talked about in his 23 points today, are things that the nra, republicans have supported in the past. let's be opposed to it and sit down and get something done. >> michael, you're like a minority of one. i'm waiting for others to come out who are still elected representatives of the party. one, to say hey, let's have a real conversation here and not just hide behind the nra and its rhetoric of fear. >> michael, do you think there are any republicans that will vote for any of the proposals that were put on the table today? >> i do. and i'll tell you why.

it's the numbers that you show in the first segment today, those poll numbers. that's where the rubber meets the road here. it's a turning point and one that the party better get in front of. >> at this point in time, the only gop voice we are really hearing are the crazy ones. so you might be right, michael, susan, any other republicans who are out there. but as the debate is being framed, we don't see any real republicans in leadership positions taking a moderate -- >> michael, i hope you're correct. >> the obama campaign apparatus is going to take on the nra. we'll ask if the president will hit the road to make his case directly to the american people.

then find out how survivors are reacting to the president's plan. sandy hook's top educator gives an emotional response. that's ahead.

i will put everything i've got into this and so will joe. but i tell you, the only way we can change is if the american people demand it. we're going to need voices in those areas and those congressional districts where the tradition of gun ownership

is strong to speak up. and to say this is important. >> president obama wants direct action from the american people because it's the only way sensible gun legislation will pass. today, former white house press secretary robert gibbs says the president's campaign organization must be fully activated. >> the president has the most exciting campaign apparatus ever built. it's time to turn that loose. if the nra has a list than obama for america has a bigger list. >> joining us tonight on "the ed show" stephanie cutter, former obama 2012 campaign manager. stephanie, good to have you on the program. that's a heck of a sound byte. i mean, to engage the effort of the obama campaign, is there a plan now that the battle lines have been drawn on what the

president wants to do on gun control and gun measures? is the obama team going to be engaged in this? >> you know, i think you can expect to see -- president obama provides the leadership here. president obama's network, across this country, grassroots individuals are much more powerful than the individual lobby. we need to pass common sense legislation to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those who shouldn't be carrying a gun. so that's the common sense nature of this. it's not about infringing upon the second amendment. it's about making sure that gun owners are responsible gun owners and we're not giving guns to criminals. the second amendment doesn't

apply to regulations on other types of weapons, like weapons of war, assault weapons. so the argument is not going to stand up. we have to make sure the american people know what the argument is. that we need to keep our kids safe. we need to keep our guns out of the hands of criminals. >> what about the president now? i know he was all out and got after it big time. and now he says he's going to give this everything he's got. what does that mean to you? i mean, is he going to go out on the road? is he going to really take the case to the american people really going after the gun lobby and really trying to make change? >> well, i think you can expect to see him traveling the country talking about proposals that he put out there today. talking about the american

people with the need to make their voices heard. we know what the gun lobby is going to do. they're going to scare the american people and say barack obama is going to try to take your guns away from you. that's not the case. i got a gun when i was 12 years old. i know what gun safety is. i have no problem going through a background check or a waiting period before i got my gun. and i think most americans across this country understand that those precautions are a good thing. we're keeping guns in the hands of responsible owners not in the hands of criminals. >> ask your member of congress if they support universal background checks. ask them if they support a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. if they say no, ask them why not? ask them what's more important? doing whatever it takes to get

an a-grade from the gun lobby or giving parents some piece of mind when they drop their child off for first grade. >> i mean, that cuts right to it. will president obama do more of this, calling out lawmakers when necessary? >> absolutely. i think the argument -- what we need to put in place here is for lawmakers to explain why people should have assault weapons. why people should have 30 rounds of bullets for their guns. that's the argument the president was making here. >> appreciate your time tonight. thank you. there's a lot more coming up in the next half hour of "the ed show," stay with us. >> mental health issues. universal background check for anyone trying to buy a gun. restore a ban on military-style assault weapons. we're responsible.

>> the president isn't pulling any punches. but is the country ready for a change in culture? dan gross of the brady campaign on today's big news. and for republicans who love to crow about cutting spending, democrats have the answer. the public option is back. and i'll tell you why we need it now more than ever. [ female announcer ] girls don't talk about pads... but they do talk about always infinity. [ marcy ] it's like memory foam. [ female announcer ] the only pad made from a revolutionary material. [ erina ] it totally fits to your body. [ female announcer ] it's incredible protection, you'll barely feel it. always infinity. tell us what you think.

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including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ we don't live in isolation. we live in a society. a government of and by and for the people. we are responsible for each other. >> that might be the most powerful thing the president said today. we're responsible for each other. parents of the first graders gunned down in newtown show their support for the president today. those parents endured an emotional hearing on policy. he shot every one of these 6-year-olds three to 11 times.

that wasn't necessary. they didn't have a chance with a semi-automatic weapon. and little 6-year-old bodies have no chance. >> tonight, parents with the sandy hook promise say we appreciate the president's decisive action, however, a solution won't just happen in washington. let's turn to dan gross, president of the brady campaign to prevent gun violence. dan, good to have you back with us tonight. how satisfied is your organization with what unfolded today? is this what you wanted? >> it's exactly what we wanted. we couldn't be more satisfied as a first step. but what the parents are newtown are saying is exactly right. as the president said himself, if we're going to be able to create change, it's going to require the support of the american public.

now the white house has done right by us in terms of putting together a comprehensive set of solutions not only to prevent tragedies like newtown. now it's up to us to have their back to push these through, to change the conversation in congress, to bring the conversation that's going on in the american public to congress to have these solutions come to fruition. >> and the nra is not backing down. their ad campaign is certainly very telling. is this going to play all the way into 2014? and do you think firearms will be a bigger issue in the wake of sandy hook in 2014? >> i'm hopeful we're going to be able to get this done more quickly. i hope it relates to the midterm that we're actually able to demonstrate the extent to which we're prepared to support the elected officials who do right by us and hold accountable the american public officials who don't.

>> the mothers against drunk driving have had a huge impact. you can even throw in seat belts. now, we're going through texting and driving. it seems like every state is doing something about that. do we need a similar anti-gun campaign? >> that's an important clarification. this isn't anti-gun campaign. it is not an anti-gun campaign. and we do not need an anti-gun campaign. what we need is an honest conversation about both the benefits of gun ownership to law-abiding people and that's amply discussed in public discourse in terms of recreational purposes, hunting, protection of your home. but, at the same time, we have to have a conversation about the dangers associated with access to guns by people with certain mental illnesses, by kids and, you know, if we can have that

conversation regarding the 300 million guns that are out there and law-abiding citizens considering bringing in new guns to the home and policy and what we can do to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, that's part of the white house's recommendation today. the police chief said this is about legislators who are in fear. >> that's inconvenience. that's maybe a little heartburn. fear. fear is what went through the hearts and minds of those 20 first graders in connecticut. that's fear, ladies and gentlemen. a suggestion that people should be afraid of the gun lobby when, in fact, you know america is behind you on the background checks and all of these other issues. how is that fear? it is just becoming educated.

>> do you think the country's attitude toward the gun lobby has changed? that maybe that fear is wearing off? and the key here is lawmakers. your thoughts. >> yeah, i think the gun lobby has done a good job demonstrating just how out of touch they are not only with the american public but with nra membership. the american public is clambering for solutions. 92% of americans support universal background checks. >> you have the public on your side? you believe that? >> i've heard the brady campaign labeled by those on the right as a radical group that's just after firearms. you have the people on your side. >> right. and that's using that fear and paranoia, that mentality, you know, to kind of rile up an extremist base to give party lines to the politicians that do their bidding. the american public can't accept at face value, this is something

we can do to save lives. the reality is that those two things can co-exist. we have to hold our elected officials accountable. >> coming up, house democrats are putting the public option back on the table. she will tell us why her bill is good for all of america. stay tuned.

and we are back. of course we love hearing from our viewers on twitter and facebook page. many of you responding to the president's proposals. on facebook, carol hopkins clayton writes god bless you, mr. president. thanks for having the guts to look out for the american people. they will see an uprising that could produce the million mom march. and steven salisar writes

finally something is getting done. hopefully, the congress will soon follow and stop acting like puppets who are being controlled for the gun lobbies. keep sharing your thoughts with us and like us on facebook and on twitter. still to come, congresswoman jan shakowski to revive the public option and how it can save this country billions of dollars. that's next.

tonight, i asked you, will you vote for anyone wo doesn't support the president's gun safety proposals? 5% of you say yes, 95% of you say no. coming up, the public reaction and why republicans should absolutely love this. jan shakowski introduced the bill, and she will join us next. stay with us.

and the big finish tonight. health care is back in the news. for the last seven months, it's been our life fighting wendy's ovarian cancer. she has been absolutely unbelievably strong. there is no greater news than to find out that you are cancer free. this has been quite an experience, especially when the bills have come in the mail. we were lucky. we had insurance. i asked one medical professional here in new york, what do the poor people do? she just shook her head. i don't know what that meant. i don't know, do they just go home and die?

do they not get treatment at all? but having been here at msnbc for four years and when i first came here when we were covering the health care bill, it's surreal to go through what we, as a family, have gone through. and i just know that as a country, we can do a much better job. and leave it to the progressive movement, house democrats are putting the public option right back on the table. congresswoman jan schawowsky and the deficit reduction act. the bill would offer the choice of the publically run health insurance plan. and get this, it would save a hundred billion dollars over the next ten years. this bill is a win for everybody. it will reduce the deficit. obama care has brought the number of uninsured americans to the lowest level since 2008.

however, the law would be fully implemented until 2014. it would put pressure on all insurers to lower their premiums in order to compete. it would also provide immediate relief to small businesses and the federal government and all parts of the economy. for example, former defense secretary robert gates has warned the rising -- he has warned of rising military health care costs for years. >> sharply rising health care costs are consuming an ever-larger share of this department. growing from 19 billion in 2001. >> military health care costs have gone up 300% in the past decade. 2012 was the first year since 1995 military personnel saw an increase in health care premiums. now, there are two things republicans love, the military and reducing the deficit.

republican should be thrilled with the public option. how can you make a hundred billion dollar mistake? who's doing the math? will it save or won't it save? let's turn to the author of the bill, jan schakowsky of illinois. >> i'm so happy that wendy is doing well. >> thank you. we appreciated your phone calls very much. congresswoman, the math? >> the estimate is it's $104 billion over 10 years. it saves the government money. in terms of the subsidies, in the exchanges, it would be one option that americans could choose. the cost would be 5% to 7% less and it would be an anchor pulling down because of competition the cost of the private sector plans as well. it is a win-win, as you said, for small businesses, for consumers and for american taxpayers.

it would bring the deficit down. now, don't you think that it would be something that the republicans would want to embrace? and, yet, it seems as if maybe taking a penny away from private insurance companies, that's not the kind of deficit they want. >> do you think that any of them are going to get on board here? how can they come out and say these numbers aren't right? >> no, the numbers are right. i am still hopeful. if they are serious, this is a serious proposal about how to reduce the deficit. it seems too often that what they want is the prize, the trophy of actually reducing benefits. and the beauty of a public option is that it doesn't do that. it offers the same kind of plan that all the private insurers would have to offer. and the other great thing about